Security officials raided a Jewish school in Caracas, Venezuela, causing panic among children and parents.

Local and international Jewish groups expressed outrage over the way the investigation was conducted during the Monday morning raid. Police were reportedly searching the school, of 1,500 children, for arms, based on accusations that Israeli intelligence was connected with the recent assassination of federal prosecutor Danilo Anderson.

“We do not question the official investigations,” said a statement by Daniel Slimak and John Davidescu, president and secretary general, respectively, of the Confederation of Israelite Associations of Venezuela. But they expressed alarm over the manner of the raid. The American Jewish Committee, which has been in touch with Slimak, called on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his government to apologize to the Jewish community.

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